PANAMA CITY — Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett said he considers the approval of a provision that prevents school grades from dropping more than one letter grade a temporary “safety net.”

“I saw this as a way of making sure that we uphold the accountability system that has served this state so very well, as we guide ourselves through this transition,” Bennett said Wednesday in an interview at The News Herald.

The transition he spoke about was the 2014-2015 statewide full implementation of Common Core State Standards.

The provision should remain in place until the state adopts and implements the new assessments and develops a new accountability system, he said.

He also stated his position on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC) assessment — a computer-based test that will replace the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

A few states have opted out of PARCC and developed their own state tests, Bennett noted.

“We may do something similar; that will meet the requirements for us to receive federal funds, but be a state driven test.”